# Differences Between Nicaraguan/Dominican



## Jezebelguy (Sep 6, 2015)

I'm fairly new to the world of cigars. Tried a few, liked some, others not as much. Really into mini cigars right now. But for regular ones, can some of you tell me in layman's terms what the differences are between Nicaraguan, Dominican, cigars are? Like in terms of taste, body, strength? For me, I like a bright, fresh, medium to strong cigar. I don't like pungent, peaty cigars. Of the regular-sized ones I've tried, the Fuente (Dominican I think?) was very good, but I really liked the Fleur De Oliva Gold too (Nicaraguan?). It was mild, but also had a strong body that I really liked. I really want to try a Partegas or Padron. I hated the Macanudo Maduro, it was very very dark almost black in color. So based on the unique flavor profiles of the different countries of origin, and my own taste preferences, which type of regular sized cigars should I maybe go for?


----------



## frankD (Apr 10, 2015)

.


generally i would rate a DOMINICAN over a NICARAGUAN but at certain price points like from $4 to $8 they are very very similar..........once premium BRAND sticks go to CONNECTICUT with the DOMINICAN then the price goes up beyond $12 and NICARAGUAN start to trail behind...............i think DOMINICANs are doing it longer so experience matters and i have also read / heard many of the DOMINCAN rollers growers etc were exiles from CUBA back in the 60s which is definitely a plus

...............today there are many many good sticks in the $6 price range from all over the WORLD 

my $ . 0 2 


frankD


----------



## Bird-Dog (Oct 16, 2009)

Very much personal preference. I've certainly had Dominicans I liked, though most are kinda' "meh" to me. Over all I much prefer Nicaraguans and Hondurans. I'm not a fan of Connecticut Shade wrappers, whereas Frank sees them tipping the scale for the upper-end DR's. I like Corojo and Ecuador Habano wrappers much more. Neither of us are wrong, just different. Some guys love San Andres maduros or Cameroons or sun-grown Broadleaf. Personal preference.

And that personal preference will skew what each individual would define as "bright flavors". I like that description, BTW, but suspect if I tell you that's bang-on Nicaraguan someone else will say that indicates a Dominican profile, etc...

Between Padron or (NC) Partagas, I would recommend Padron. To me, Padron is the definitive Nicaraguan puro. And how you take to Padron should help the sorting hat assess whether you belong in Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff


----------



## Jezebelguy (Sep 6, 2015)

Thanks for the great comments as always guys! Definitely helpful to a cigar newbie! I'm fast learning though  Learning as I smoke!  It seems some say that Nicaraguan are more similar to Cubans, while others say Dominicans & Cubans are more similar. I've never had a Cuban yet, hopefully with the embargo lifting, I'll soon have the chance! My gut instinct tells me to go with Nicaraguan. People say that Nicaraguans are strong, bold, and more full-bodied. I personally like that. I remember even the Fleur de Olivia I tried was mild, but very full-bodied, although I'd probably go for something a bit stronger next time. Not sure why, but I've been drawn to Nicaraguan cigars ever since I started getting into them. I love the heritage there, & the strength and quality of the cigars there. Padron is legendary! I just found out that Padron sells these little cigars called Padron Corticos, in a box of about 6. They look to be about the same size as the Fuente Cubanitos. I am so hoping my bricks & mortar shop has them I have been wanting to try a real Padron for ages! And they aren't super enormous either. Fuentes are really good, but if I had to choose, based on what I've tried and what little I know, I'd go for a Nicaraguan over a Dominican. My gut tells me to.


----------



## Bird-Dog (Oct 16, 2009)

I would concur that Nicaraguans are closer to Cuban cigars (CC's) than Domincans are, though how close is up for debate. I mostly smoke CC's, and I find that the non-Cubans (NC's) that suit me best are Nicaraguans & Hondurans. Not the same, mind you, but more in my wheelhouse than Dominicans typically are.

Don't overlook Hondurans, BTW. As might be expected, they are in the same general ballpark as Nicaraguans, but with some nuanced differences. For me, a high-quality Honduran can deliver rounder notes a little more reminiscent of CC's... usually still no comparison to the real deal, but leaning slightly that way for me - and I have occasionally run across a batch of Hondurans that I would have sworn were Cubans. Also note, I said "can deliver rounder notes" because there is no hard-and-fast rule. There are exceptional cigars from both sources, as well as the DR. And, there are some lousy ones too.


----------



## Jezebelguy (Sep 6, 2015)

Never had a Honduran yet! Always seem to forget about them. As someone who has moved to cigars from cigarettes, not inhaling the cigars, to get the full experience the nose exhale is where it's at! And I like to feel that burn, of a strong-bodied cigar when I smoke. Right now still sticking to mini cigars for everyday. If my b&m has the padron corticos I'll definitely try those.


----------



## Amc82 (Apr 2, 2010)

One comes from one place and the other from the other place. DR cigars are not as good as from Nicaragua. Honduran are just as good as Nicaragua cigars too. Just my $.02. 

Sent from my XT1030 using Tapatalk


----------



## Jezebelguy (Sep 6, 2015)

I guess it really comes down to taste & preference. I always smoked strong cigarettes, and now that I'm into cigars, I really love a strong-bodied one, not one that will knock you down, but complexity. I retrohale more than I puff for the full sensation. That's just me. I'm really loving romeo y julieta minis for daily smoke breaks, and will get some decent Nicaraguan full sized for weekends & evenings


----------



## Champagne InHand (Sep 14, 2015)

I concur with the personal preference. Long while ago I really enjoyed Macanudos but not so much anymore. I do love Arturo Fuente and they are DR. I have had a Nicaraguan that I haven't liked other than the infused Acid Kuba series and I didn't hate them. Still Honduras makes some excellent cigars. I just bought to boxes from Hoyo de Monterrey. Both so different from each other. The one wrapped in a Maduro but with mild to medium filler. The other has shade grown wrapper but spicy more bold filler from 3 different countries. 

Again it comes down to personal preference. I loved Padron, but with more exposure, I have decided I like Padron at Lowe price levels, not loving them. I really like Oliva V series. I'm also really enjoying Diesel UHC. It's always an adventure which is similar to wine with exception that I don't need to hold 10-20 years upon release. Flavor profiles seem to be slightly different for each cigar as once released they pick up humidity different and age with just enough difference to make every one interesting, even when it's not my favorite style. Try a lot of different cigars before deciding on them by country of manufacture. 

I've had some of the best Cubans and still had some clunkers, even with the same exact label and size. 


What shall we have? An '82 Margaux! Is it any good? Good....?, It will make you believe in God!


----------



## JGIORD (Jan 1, 2000)

You can't really think like that Dominicans, Nicaraguans and Hondurans and most cigars are blended with multiple countries. The Padron happens to be a Nicaraguan puro so it is all Nic tobacco. From what I have seen the majority of "puros" seem to be Nicaraguan. 

Dominican tobacco can be light and smooth but also can be strong and powerful. It all depends on the blend so generalizing makes things difficult. However, I can say that to me I find Honduran tobacco to have a cloying leather flavor so for the most part the cigars I smoke will tend to have no or just a little Honduran tobacco. I do tend to like Nicaraguan blended cigars the most. But it really is a trial and error process to find what you like the most.

Based on your indication that you don't enjoy heavy dark flavors, I don't think you would care for a Padron. If you do try one, and I would still recommend that you do, I would suggest trying a natural instead of a maduro. I would also suggest a Fuente 858 natural. They have a Cameroon wrapper which is light, with some sweetness and a touch of spice. 

Good luck


----------



## c.ortiz108 (Nov 16, 2013)

To me, Nicaraguans are often more chocolaty and Dominicans more cedary.


----------



## Bird-Dog (Oct 16, 2009)

JGIORD said:


> You can't really think like Dominicans, Nicaraguans and Hondurans and most cigars are blended with multiple countries. The Padron happens to be a Nicaraguan puro so it is all Nic tobacco. From what I have seen the majority of "puros" seem to be Nicaraguan.
> 
> Dominican tobacco can be light and smooth but also can be strong and powerful. It all depends on the blend so generalizing makes things difficult. However, I can say that to me I find Honduran tobacco to have a cloying leather flavor so for the most part the cigars I smoke will tend to have no or just a little Honduran tobacco. I do tend to like Nicaraguan blended cigars the most. But it really is a trial and error process to find what you like the most.


As a general rule, different origins do tend to produce different flavor profiles. It's not a hard-and-fast rule, but as a general rule-of-thumb it does have validity.

I like CC's. They range in strength, but over all share a flavor profile I prefer - rarely find any I don't like. With NC's I've had the best luck in Hondurans, with Nicaraguans a strong second - and varying degrees of success with Nic/Hon blends. To my tastes, I have not had good luck finding Dominicans that suit me, so I usually avoid them and avoid blended cigars that rely on DR tobacco.

If generalizing causes me to miss something I might have enjoyed... oh well; more for everybody else. There is so much out there to choose from that I do not feel bad if I don't smoke every cigar that might have suited me. I'd much rather that than keep buying cigars that I don't care for just because someone else who may have different tastes liked them. So, I don't think it's unusual or wrong to make generalizations that help one hit a bulls-eye more often.


----------



## Angga Reza (Sep 30, 2015)

Generally Dominica makes good mild cigar and Nicaragua makes good full bodied cigar

just my 2 cent


----------



## Yarddog (Mar 15, 2014)

I like Nicaragua. Only had one CC that I considered acceptable...the lifting of the embargo will mean nothing to me. That is all.


----------



## JGIORD (Jan 1, 2000)

I think what will really be interesting is when the embargo is lifted and the cigar manufacturers start blending with Cuban tobacco as well. Those will be tasty.


----------

